Southern Moderate African American Issues

Blacks Who Actually Vote

On Meet the Press this weekend, NPR’s Michele Norris made an interesting point about Americans and the Healthcare debate.

MS. NORRIS: But outside of the Beltway there’s an interesting data point here that people involved in the process talk about, the fact that some 90 percent of the people who voted actually have health insurance and three-quarters of them are satisfied with what they got. And there’s different ways of looking at that. And one way to look at that is to say that perhaps there is not the public mandate for this that would dictate this sort of rush to legislation, and that’s going to make it harder to make that point and sell that when they, when they…(unintelligible).

If that stat is correct, 90 percent of actual voters have health insurance and most of them are happy with what they have. The debate should focus more on affordability rather than universal coverage but U.C. is important to prevention costly conditions and to stop people from using the E.R. as a doctor’s office.

The numbers of issues voters decide for people who don’t vote amazes me. All of the good work we (Capitol Hill Democrats) did for struggling Americans during the Clinton years should have made Al Gore’s election a cakewalk. But certain folks don’t vote; don’t vote but are busy messing up the nation.

As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease and who are the squeaky wheels…voters. And who are the most squeaky wheels—those tea partiers. They are doing it big down here and in the court of public opinion, those voices register because they are bring stats and facts to the table.

Here is a new stat for the discussion: what is the percentage of non-voters should we give a rat’s ____ about? (Wow, that is a rough question and it ended in a preposition.) Some voters would say zero percent while the compassionate might say 100%. In the barbershops in my community, people often say it is hard helping people who won’t help themselves or vote. In the end, reasonable people are concerned on some level because the actions of everyone ultimately impact are safely and financial well-being. The “most real” guys in my neighborhood break it down so hard as to say that the answer for assisting poor people is to limit the number of poor people…China style.

An old friend who is a conservative sister asked me about their efforts/failure to approach the Black community seven years ago—where did the time go. I told her then what I tell her during our weekly telephone policy debates: most members of her pachyderm party don’t want people unlike them around in the same way they sometimes use private schools and home-schooling to get away from certain elements.

Michael Steele’s efforts to attract more minorities would drive away equal numbers of members who join to get away from those he is seeking to attract. Not so fast; conservatives in the South are comfortable in the pachyderm party without “us” in general but they need a few percentage points of BWAV (Blacks Who Actually Vote.) These people don’t realize that the average person you see getting arrested (Black or White) on Cops doesn’t vote and BWAVs experience the worst affects of the worst elements.

If we consider how the Right plans to take power again, the answer doesn’t involve appealing to current moderates or centrists. Oh no. As quiet as it is kept, the answer is to employ the politics of fear to scare non-voting Whites into a defensive posture about losing their country…. “You better start voting Right or else.” Being a southern, I know it could work because history has a way of repeating itself. (I was going to type “the apple don’t fall too far from the tree” but decided against it.)

For the last time (today), our community needs better/more representation on the Right…mark my word.

Jonolan: I think it is interesting that conservative equals Republicans because the Blue Dogs are so what conservatives inside the Dem Team. I am not sure where you live but in the South BWAV are rather moderates and the church-going people in my community are really conservatives. They/we are just put-off by the demonization (sp) campaign techniques pushed by DC wonks.

Yes, you are correct the fare Left is as far away from the center as the far Right. And the sensible center is the kingmaker. At this time the Dems have the center in my opinion. But read past post on this blog; we love the idea of improving our community with tough talk and real actions…from the inside.

You kept mentioning Steele and the GOP in reference to the Right, so I kept it on that level – though I doubt one could truly call the Blue Dogs conservatives; they’re more “narrow agenda” types or “regional partisans.”

I’m from central Florida originally, but now live in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. That would change things somewhat.

Jonolan: I think a deeper look at the Blue Dogs will come from the major debates this congress. If I served in congress, I would be a Blue Dog because I still like members of balance the needs of all citzens rather than the winner take all mindset.

We have a difference of opinion as to the motivations of the Blue Dogs, slyram. I admit though that they end up functioning as a form of swing voting bloc which provides, I believe by accident, a bit of balance.

Frankly, if and when I serve in Congress, I’m not sure what I would be classed as. My opinions and beliefs don’t consistently follow the current dogma of either party.

Here’s the deal: in Georgia, a congressional district or state could easily have two sides who are on extreme ends of the political spectrum. When I was in high school and college, most of the Georgia congressional delegation functioned like currently Blue Dogs (you also had a real liberal district or two in Atlanta and a real conservative district in suburban Atlanta.)

Those Dixiecrat Democrats would not join the Republicans because their voters still ticked that Lincoln reluctantly freed the slaves. But, those DD’s districts were 25 to 40% Black. So, a member would pull his hair out trying to balance his votes between subgroups. After redistricting in the early 90s, Georgia got districts that were clearly R or D. Now, the Democrats members will always listen to Republicans in their districts because those business people can write nice campaign contribution checks but Newt, Tom Delay and Dick Armey told those new GOP members that you never need to listen to that liberal Democrat side.

Some would say that a standup member will vote his mind and let the election chips fall where they may. Others will say that a true representative echoes the prevailing point of view in his district with secondary consideration for his personal opinion. Who knows?

That makes me think about a Muslim classmate and dorm mate from my Black college who spoke so well and stood up to the college’s administration that the student body elected him SGA president. Because he was a history major and I was pol sci, we debated issues all night…it got heated at times. He was concerned with Coke products in the cafeteria because Coke invested in South Africa. I was concerned with the zero opposite sex dorm visitation policy and the zero mini-refrigerators in the dorm policy.

He could not support the visitation change most students wanted because it would lead to “private actions” that were against his faith and he was against frigs because that would lead to beer in the dorm…again, against his faith.

I requested that he resign if he could that represent us because of his faith. While I respected his commitment, his office required actions he could not take. Brother, did the right thing: he conveyed the views of the majority briefly then went into a longer speech about morality, sex and alcohol. Black college..you gotta love it.

Listen to the Blue Dogs and you will hear them flex like that SGA president. At one point, I thought the GOP would develop a similar sub-division but those cats don’t roll like that.